Although deployed across third party networks, virtual private networks have the look and feel of a private network, such as an intranet utilized by a private company. In fact, many currently utilized virtual private networks are deployed across the Internet to provide a private network solution at a relatively low cost.
A virtual private network (“VPN”) often includes two or more preconfigured network devices that each act as VPN nodes in their VPN. To that end, each such network device typically is preconfigured with the address of all other network devices to be in their VPN, and preselected network routes (hereinafter “tunnels”) between each of the other network devices in their VPN. By way of example, a given VPN that utilizes the Internet may include a first router with its associated local area network, and a second router with its associated local area network. The first router is preconfigured to have the Internet Protocol address of the second router, and a set of preselected network tunnels to the second router. In a similar manner, the second router is preconfigured to have the Internet Protocol address of the first router, and a set of preselected network tunnels to the first router. Accordingly, the two routers and the members of their respective local area networks communicate in their VPN across the Internet via the preselected network tunnels.
Problems arise, however, when network devices (e.g., routers) that are not preconfigured are to be added to a VPN that operates in the above described manner. Specifically, such network devices cannot be added to a VPN unless they are configured with the above noted preconfiguration data.